On Mount Lorebale, three Hunters were walking around and carefully looking around as they scouted the surroundings. However, there wasn't anything to take note of. These three were the ones who caused a ruckus earlier and also the ones Vanor sent.
One of them, a scrawny man, looked at the shortest one and asked, "Boss, shouldn't we hide now? There's no point in joining the hunt."
The tallest one also chimed in as he nodded his head and said, "That's right! Who cares about this nonsense?"
The shortest one, whose name was Eman, turned red. He raised his fist and punched both of them. The two's eyes widened, and they failed to block; the fist landed on both of their faces. The two let out a groan, and Eman yelled at them, "Who do you think we are?! Pampered brats?! We're Hunters; the least we could do is help."
The two looked at each other and nodded, remaining silent and looking into the distance.
Rustle!
The three turned their heads upon hearing the sound. The moment they did, their eyes widened, and their jaws dropped. Sweat trickled down their foreheads and dripped into the ground as their body started trembling.
Hoards upon hoards of wolves gathered before them. Their crimson eyes stared at the three of them, their gazes filled with hunger and killing intent. The sight was enough to send them panicking. The wolves' grey fur made it look like a sea of grey, whilst their red eyes were like droplets of blood spreading across the ocean.
Eman shouted in panic, "Quick, climb!"
Just as he spoke, he turned around and jumped into a nearby tree. The two also followed him and scaled the tree and stood atop the branches.
However, the wolves wouldn't let go as they rushed forward. Fortunately, they weren't able to climb up. When the three saw this, they let out a sigh of relief.
But their hearts immediately sank when they saw dozens of wolves grow bigger. Their muscles bulged, and their fur became blood red.
"Berserk state!"
The wolves quickly jumped, defying gravity with sheer strength as they ran up the tree.
The scrawny man who was named Leeman shouted in a hurry as he jumped into another tree, "They shouldn't even be able to enter a berserk state when under control. What the hell is happening?!"
Suddenly, he heard a scoff from behind, and when he turned to look, he saw Eman speaking, "Are you stupid? The Wolf Lord must have let go of its command to let these go wild!"
As he shouted, he jumped off his tree and landed on a nearby branch. They continued like this as they ran from the pursuing wolves.
However, as time passed, they saw that the trees nearby started falling. The loud sound of trees breaking and falling echoed and spread like a plague. Even without them seeing it firsthand, they knew who caused it.
The three clenched their fist and continued to run, but a moment later, all the nearby trees suddenly fell.
Howl!
The Wolf Lord let out a howl as it entered their vision. It was several times larger than ordinary wolves, and not only that, it carried extreme ferociousness in its gaze.
The tree took their weapons and let out a heavy sigh as they started to fight back. Sounds of flesh being cut echoed across the mountain as wolves fell from the trees. However, one wolf managed to lunge straight at Eman's back. Jack, the tallest one, swung his sword at the incoming beast. The moment the wolf and the sword touched, the wolf was torn as the force that sent it flying caused it to be cut by the blade.
Leeman frowned at the sight but immediately went back to work. He moved swiftly, jumping and striking an incoming wolf at the head with his dagger. Once he landed, Eman attacked with his club at the nearby wolves.
They continued this relentless assault as their stamina started draining. Their clothes were soaked with sweat and blood. A moment later, they felt a sudden force tugging at them.
When they looked down, they saw the tree falling. The three gritted their teeth and jumped off. When they landed, they jumped off the wolves and started running atop of them.
The wolves let out a howl, but a dark shadow came to greet them. The tree trunk fell at them. Dozens of wolves rushed out,t but the tree inevitably took their lives.
The wolves howled, and the three ran for their lives. With the wolves distracted, the three managed to make distance; however, they were injured and running out of stamina. They had little remaining time left.
…
On Vanor's side of things, he sat inside a room, overlooking the outside. The warm orange ray of light arrived, signalling the dawn. His gaze darted about; since he had already told the plan earlier, he had no reason to reiterate it now, so he simply sat there and waited.
Before he knew it, groups of Hunters gathered, separated into three groups. According to the plan, each group would be sent out to take out every wolf they met on their way. If they managed to secure an area, they would send supplies and build a temporary base.
However, if the wolves proved to be too strong, then they would fall back to Plan B. The three groups would retreat and act as barriers as several Hunters would place traps everywhere. Once this was accomplished, the Hunters would fall back, and if the wolves followed, they would be annihilated.
At the very back of it all, there would be a wall at the Foot of Mount Lorebale–at its entrance. By the time most of the early parts of the plan were done, the wall should already be finished in construction and should be usable.
Vanor withdrew his gaze and grabbed a nearby fork. He threw it into the air, catching it as he played around with it. Unexpectedly, a youth entered and saw him. The youth asked softly, "Since you're the one leading us, do you believe victory exists for us?"
Vanor glanced at the youth and noticed his worried expression. He sighed internally and said plainly, "Victory is an illusion at this point. After all, how are we supposed to defeat the Wolf Lord?"
He shook his head and stood up. He fixed his silver hair and spoke solemnly, "But as long as the Wolf Lord perishes, eliminating a few wasted wolves should become easy."
Vanor stepped forward, listening to the youth speaking, "I… will work hard!"
Vanor's eyes dilated for a second before they returned to normal. He raised his hand and patted the youth's shoulder before sending him off.
It's a pity… that youth is still innocent, and that would likely be the cause of his death. But what can we do when this whole thing is most likely just a scheme even I don't fully understand yet? Vanor held his head low and closed his eyes.
Vanor shook his head and headed out. After stepping out, he heard the sounds of the Hunters talking. However, he didn't pay much attention and left the building.
Once out, he slowly walked forward. When the nearby Hunters saw him, they began to gather like a swarm. Vanor smiled lightly at the sight of this chaotic bunch.
He clenched his fist and spoke solemnly, "We are Hunters, and we are all humans. Humans are inherently weak, unlike monsters who were born with enhanced capabilities. They thrive from devouring the weak and stomping on us. The Wolf Lord is exactly like this! It hid itself for who knows how long and continued to build its strength until it finally felt ready to tear us apart."
He continued, "Although we humans are weak, through the use of our wit and intelligence, we can surpass these wolves. Even the pack the Wolf Lord has gathered would be forced to extinction when we all work together. These wolves think too highly of themselves. They are monsters, and as humans, we are their rulers! And as Hunters, we shall show those Bloodlines who the world should look up to!"
After he finished, he took a deep breath as the sound of laughter spread across the nearby area. He smiled lightly and said, "Giving a speech isn't so bad, considering we might all die, no?"
One Hunter, a bulky man, spoke as he laughed, "As Hunters, death is imminent. There's no glory in death, only suffering!"
Another snorted and shouted at the man, "Old man, you've grown senile! We Hunters fight not only for ourselves but for the Land and its people."
Some Hunters nodded their heads whilst others shook their heads. However, some remained silent.
Vanor shook his head and laughed dryly, thinking to himself: This is truly the nature of being a Hunter. We fight for our own desires and our desires manage to align at this very moment. And that is to obliterate the Wolf Lord.
As he thought, a single word surfaced inside his mind: Why?
However, he found an answer: Because wouldn't it prove to those sitting ducks that we have strength? Isn't it paramount to show someone a person's strength and change their perception?
Vamor clenched his fist and clasped his hand as he shouted, "The hunt is on!"